Category Archives: Information

We hope you had a fun and safe July 4th weekend. As August approaches, we wanted
to give all of you an update on what’s going on with the Box O Zombies game.

We promised you beta access sometime in July but we’re going to have to bend that
promise. You’ll still get to test out what we’ve been working on this summer, but it looks
like it’s probably going to be a little closer to the end of August.

We know this might be disappointing to all of you but I assure you it is a necessary
delay. We want to provide all of you with the best test environment we can, and to do
that we need a little more time.

We Want You…To Play Box O Zombies

Make sure you keep www.boxozombies.com bookmarked as we’ll be posting more
developer diaries as well as some test footage in the coming days. We’re super excited
about what we’ve been working on and we’re anxious to get you all into the game.

As Zombie Sam would say, “Braaiiins!!” but what he’d mean was it will be worth the
wait.

Box O Zombies exhibited at C2E2 last weekend to give a peek under the hood of our upcoming game for iOS and to showcase the brand new Touchstone from Creative Proximity working with the enhanced line of Box O Zombies toys.

Con attendees who stopped by the booth for a song and dance from our developers (featuring Shawn’s corny jokes), were introduced to the NFC collectible figures crafted for the Box O Zombies game and got to see first hand how the figures are used to create enhanced gameplay and add additional strategic elements to the game.

We were thrilled with the positive feedback on our game as well as the “game” changing NFC Touchstone. We can’t thank you enough for your support. Be sure to keep an eye out right here at BoxOZombies.com for information on how you can get into the beta and help support the project if you were unable to attend the C2E2 festivities. If you are interested in learning more about the Touchstone, NFC Toys, or how other game and app developers can integrate the Touchstone into their next project, visit the Creative Proximity site.

Our convention exclusive figure, Zomicbook Guy, was very popular, along with other available products for sale like the Founder’s Set which included the Touchstone and (3) limited edition bronze and green painted figures. We want to thank everyone who made a purchase, as you all are helping to support the remaining development of the game.

A congratulations to our two giveaway winners who were notified earlier this week of their incoming prizes. One lucky supporter who purchased a Touchstone is getting a brand new iPad Mini and a new Pixelite who signed up for Pixeldom on the convention floor will be getting the grand prize package of a Touchstone, the (3) limited edition figures AND an iPad Mini!

In a couple of weeks, there will be a new set of Box O Zombies toys demoing at C2E2. I was fortunate enough to design several of the new figures. Among these figures, is a special edition that will debut at C2E2 and will only be available at trade shows. That special edition figure has been named, Zomic Book Guy. In this developer diary I will take you through a relatively brief overview of the process of taking something from my brain, to paper, to the imaginary world of a computer screen to the imaginary world of reality. So if that sounds very uninteresting to you, just scroll to the bottom to see what the final digital sculpt looks like.

(A few images collected for inspiration. These are all sources that capture elements that I would like to learn from. So the idea is not to imitate, but dissect their appeal and understand the principles in a way that will strengthen my work.)

The first step was wide open for this character. Unlike the others, he had no written description. All I knew was that I needed to have a figure ready for C2E2 and that they wanted it to be a play on a convention visitor. I usually let things cook in my head a bit before putting them on paper. Meanwhile, I gather reference and inspiration. This process helps be develop a better idea of who the character is and where I might find the appeal. This is something that is a pretty standard approach and for good reason. It usually works out for the better.

For quite some time I had made the full transition to digital. However in developing this character I was reminded not to phase out the traditional materials completely. I came up with some initial thumbnail sketches while away from my desk. It was the early stages of transferring thoughts to a page. It was a small sketch pad and a relaxed moment when I found something that clicked (A good reminder that it is best to forget the certain pressures and trust your stream of consciousness). I found a shape, posture and personality that struck a chord. In most cases I would keep going through a couple more iterations to see if something better comes along or just dig out some other ideas. Unfortunately time was dwindling and I needed to trust my instinct and run with something.

(I eventually decided to go with cartoon-ish damage to the eye to help cut our the silhouette and make it stand out more.I also played around with different hats and bag designs, trying to find a proper balance of shapes and line work.)

I scanned the pencil and ink sketches and brought them into Photoshop and began to knock out more rough iterations of a particular design. I hacked away flesh, swapped hats and played with accessories until I found a combination that worked best for the character, printing constraints and thegame’s art direction.

Early on there was concern over the character’s size. I chose the size in order to create an interesting silhouette, movement and some character contrast. This contrast not only comes with the body size in comparison to his accessories, but his intimidating size paired with his somewhat nervous expression. Also, the contrast in size and accessories helps create define the humor. I wanted this character to have immediate pay off in the game’s universe, as a reference to the sights of C2E2 and as a statue you wouldn’t mind having displayed amongst your collection. I felt his size and the motion in his pose helped create the appeal we needed with out mocking his wright.

(These are the iterations building up to a near final concept. I tried different color and accessory combinations. In some cases I’m figuring out the logic of the details and in others I am looking for something that just feels right. Usually, there would much more iteration, but deadlines change things.)

After deciding on a general size and accessory combo, I then carried it through the concept stages. This involved figuring out scale in comparison to other characters, color pallets and smaller damage details. The advantage I had with this character was that I would also be the sculptor, so I could leave some room and further define the character in 3D.

From 2D Thing to 3D Thing

(An early look at the sculpt progress, as well as a glimpse of what Zomic Book Guy looks like under the mask.)

I decided to sculpt the head and body separately in order to allow myself a good amount of resolution without my PC chugging. They could later be decimated (a process of reduction in ZBrush) and combined if there were any file size issues. I don’t usually like to work this way but it helped me focus on the bust and really develop the personality in the face.

During the sculpting stage I did quite a bit of adjusting. The pose needed to be tweaked to make sense in a more realistic space. Although I think it works in 2D, it looked a little awkward in 3D. It also made it a little tricky to balance. It changed his personality a bit, which I liked, but with more time I would have fleshed out his pose a little better. I like that he looks apprehensive, but it looks a little too light footed, as if he is sneaking around. He looks to be in mid-transfer of his weight and it probably would be a more effective pose if I planted his weight on the leading foot.

The uncertain, socially awkward reminiscence of his personality was pushed through out the sculpting process. I gave his facial expression a little bit more life to animate the statue. I wanted to inject a little more character into this statue compared to my last one that was a bit lifeless (which I guess is fitting in a way). Yes he is a zombie, but I would like people to feel a connection when looking at him, a feeling that he was once a person and not just a monster. I tried to do all this while keeping the details defined by simple shapes and cuts to ensure that it will transfer to the 3.5 inch print. The limitations in this case helped assist the style in a satisfying way.

(The final concept alongside the final sculpt. There a good amount of changes when looking closely, but I think the general feel of the character was captured. I do feel like I could have done a better job of figuring out how to make the wings play more of a part in the 3D silhouette.)

So in terms of the sculpt, there you have it. I spend a good amount of time playing around with subtle color changes when poly painting. I usually paint skin temperatures, but in this case I wanted more of a flatter, cartoon feel and cut that step out. So I blocked in the colors, then painting in highlights and shadows, finishing with smaller details like the blood and the swag bag design. The base was a bit rushed due to the impending deadlines. I would have liked time to do something a little more interesting, detailed and story oriented. However, the production must go on and it was on to the next phase.

(A peak at the digital version of the Zomic Book Guy. The blood had to be changed from red to green which was a concern at first, but I found my self pleased with the way it turned out.)

(Close ups of the final sculpt, I try to push the detail with out crushing printing costs. I learned my lesson with the Samurai Zombie from last year.)

Not Done Yet! Printing and Adjustments

(This nonsense is a sheet calling out the color codes for the printers. This is always tricky, for there is no way to say for sure how accurate the colors will translate. In some cases I trust the printers, while in other spots I call out a few colors within a gradient.)

Although it feels finished, it never is. After turning in the sculpt for printing it bounced back several times. Adjustments needed to be made to accommodate the strength of the toy.I made the bag strap thicker as well readjusted pieces to overlap more in order to make it a but more structurally sound. There were also renders that needed to be mocked up to ensure scaling was properly translated. The renders seen above were prepped to assist in the coloring of the figure. The colors in this case, were not pulled directly from the poly-paint, so a Pan-tone code was provided for the main colors.

So there you have it, this is the process and amount of work that went into the figure. The process took a little over a month, with various eyes constantly reviewing the progress. It may have been shorter, but my attention was split between this and the art direction, which was a challenge in itself. Anytime you have a work split like that, you always feel with more time you could have done things differently. That is just the nature of production art. At the moment, it is coming down to the wire and I will be seeing the final toys the day before the show. I did get a chance to see some prototype prints and they looked great. So here is hoping you guys will enjoy it as well.

We will be showing 3 of them on the C2E2 floor. This one in particular is a special edition, meaning it will only be available at C2E2. We will also have the 10″ Samurai figure available, alongside personal prints and BoZ prints for sale. So check us out at Booth #1018 and I also will have a table somewhere in artist alley, so find me in the sea of prints. Thanks for reading my ramblings.

Come visit us and see what we’re up to. The artwork has been submitted to printers for flyers, t-shirts, booth graphics, posters, etc. C2E2 is just a few days away!

Demo the Game

Play a demo of the Box O Zombies Game. Setup camp and get ready for a zombie attack! Want to see even more? Place one of the NFC enabled figures on the touchstone to unlock extra content. Pick our brains (just don’t eat them) about what’s to come in the BoZ franchise!

Watch the Pixeldom Live Broadcast

Pixeldom will be live broadcasting right from our booth! If you can’t make it to the show, make sure you tune into the Pixeldom Live UStream where you can catch the live stream of interviews, panels, or a view of our booth! You can also signup for a Pixeldom account which you’ll use to earn currency in the Box O Zombies game and to use at the Pixeldom Store!
Live from the Booth: http://ustream.tv/channel/pixeldom
Live Panel Coverage: http://ustream.tv/channel/pixeldom-panel-coverage

Meet the Developers

Yes, we’re a small team. And most of use will be there at some point working the floor. If you have questions about the story, the NFC touchstone, the artwork, or gameplay, you’ll get answers straight from the source of those doing the work.

Get the Convention Exclusive Zombicbook Guy Collectible Figure

You’ve seen him through his development of sketch to 3D model, now take home a piece of the convention and get your very own con exclusive Zomicbook Guy figure! He’s NFC enabled so when the game is released you can expect some pretty awesome unlocks that will only be available to those who pick him up at our booth.

Get Access to the Box O Zombies Game Alpha

The game’s not final yet! Help us get there by getting into the alpha. Test, break, and make suggestions for the BoZ game. You can get alpha access to the game by purchasing a Touchstone, any of the figures, or by purchasing a classic Box O Zombies set!

Narrative Through Environment(Featuring the pixel art of Eddie Einikis)

Something as minor as a Latrine says a lot about a community. How much spare time it has, what materials are available, how much they value privacy, how clean things are kept. These things only begin to skim the surface (seriously, no pun intended). In order to build a successful universe, for even the smallest details, levels of thought and practicality need to be applied. So yes, even a Latrine has to make sense and has the ability to break a piece of the universe. Leaving it floating there in still waters (…This is a very serious analysis).

When constructing the buildings of this makeshift community, there has been and continues to be a lot of tweaking and revisiting. Partially due to new design information, but also due to the art team’s determination to really push the level of informative detail. Sometimes we put too much in, over building objects and making them a little to advance for the initial levels of the game.

(I was excited about Eddie’s first iterations, but it was pushing the construction a little too far for level 1. I asked for something a bit simpler and primitive, we ended up with something that better fit the level of advancement found in the first level of the game. The old asset is kept on ice, ready to be used for later levels if needed.)

We just don’t want to create your typical post apocalyptic shanty town, we want it to feel unique and representative of a world that is a little different than the norm. In the first level things are pretty straight forward, but as the levels roll out more and more twists will be revealed. Revealing more and more of the malleable character that is the survivor camp grounds.

Not only do we want the buildings to actively and interestingly inform the player of the game’s universe, we want them to seem practical. We want each phase of upgrades to make sense and not feel like a magic button turned wood into bricks. They need to exist on the border of disbelief in order to create a sense of discovery and wonder. So there may be a moment of disbelief, but through design we can bring the audience back in and have them rationalize what they are seeing. The way we went about this was establishing a style guide early and the process deconstruction.

In a way we stumbled upon our approach. One of the first buildings we made was on target but a bit too advanced. So in order to make sure things didn’t get out of hand we worked backwards. Stripping the building down to make the lower levels. This helped create a nice blueprint. So even if future buildings were built up the chain of levels, it established a mindset on how to make the buildings feel natural and connected.

Visual Hierarchies and Handles

We also need the buildings to serve the game functions as well as the platform. The primary platform at the moment is the iPad and iPhone. The assets are a low resolution art style on a high resolution platform, they need to be designed to make the leap. The buildings need to read clearly, in regards to their function, status and position on the map. The player has the option to zoom in and out a good amount. So players will want to keep tabs on all the game elements at once. This creates problems with even more details lost at the most zoomed out state. We approached this with a few layers of detail, hue and saturation coding. I was also told this can be referred to as a visual hierarchy so now I’m saying it’s that thing. VISUAL HIERARCHY (credit to Matthew Board, professor at Columbia College for the additional vocabulary).

(The logos for cooking and hunting will probably change. After so many generations of games, player’s develop a preconceived notion for certain icons. Looking at those logos makes me think, archery and potion. We may also push the color saturation to make that distinction pop more.)

The base layer is saturation in context. So the ground detail, like rocks, grass and dirt, are a little less saturated than the buildings (not seen here as the ground is under construction). This provides a foundation that will help with the initial pop of detail. The next tier of identifiable detail is color and familiarity. There are a series of tents that serve different functions. In order to translate that they serve a similar purpose in a larger context, (perform fundamental functions for running a community), we made them share a general structural design, but varied them a bit. So they don’t look exactly the same, but are familiar, maintaining uniqueness within the larger context. Similar to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers or Swedish people.

On top of that, each tent is color coded providing a player sort of a visual handle bar. So rather than trying to remember what the Lumber Mill looks like or it’s location, there eyes can scan the screen and grab onto the color. This has been a bit of a tricky process so far, color balance against the colors of the environment poses some challenges. An additional UI icon system is being developed to further assist with this system.

The third tier, serving as an accent, is key items with in the tents. We tried to design and layout specific items that pop visually from the other tent details. This not only helps create uniquness amongst similar tents, but also helps clearly and quickly translate the different levels. Again, it is kind of like another handle for players to grasp. The more handles, the easier it is to…….HANDLE.

Artist of the Week

This weeks artist was inevitable considering the entries topic, Eddie Einikis. He is an extremely talented concept artist with some tools in the 3D realm as well. His adaptation to pixel art has been incredible, producing high quality, unique art in a short amount of time. He works as our primary environment/structure pixel artist.

(Some early iterations of buildings. These are not to scale and are sized for presentation purposes.)

This concept process is usually through description, reference photos, conversation and iteration. Most of the time I give him the designer’s description as well as my interpretation, sometimes with a few specific details I would like to see, and he get’s to work. He has done a stellar job at not only building assets but also contributing effective ideas for visuals and production pipelines. In short, he is good and a artist who I imagine will continue to create really cool stuff. Below is a bit of what he has to say about the process.

“I was not familiar with pixel art when I first joined the BoZ project, but I’m glad to have experienced and learned it. I’ve enjoyed creating buildings with function and personality, and it’s cool to see them implemented in mockups and early builds of the game.”

At the event Shawn and Kent will be discussing the history of Box O Zombies, their backgrounds in game development, and the transition to their joint venture, Creative Proximity (Immersive Realms, Eightbit Studios, and Pixeldom). They will also be showing off the newest build of the game with working NFC interactivity and discussing the trials and tribulations that have gone along with creating of these new figures and their integration with the game mechanics on the road to their debut that will be at C2E2 next month!

Creative Proximity is a pioneer in the video game industry, dedicated to making the digital gaming world a better place to play. Our goal is to deliver high quality, compelling mobile games that are entertaining, immersive, and enhanced by real world interaction.

Box O Zombies the game will showcase how smaller developers will be able to delve into the world of NFC gaming just like just like those of bigger properties such as Skylanders, Disney Infinity, and newest talk of utilizing the WiiU’s NFC capabilities, Pokémon. With an independent intellectual property like Shawn’s Box O Zombies, it’s the perfect example of taking one man’s local creation and bringing it, literally, into the digital world to share the vision and backstory of these figures in a way that could never be done through static plastic.

We will be giving away series one Boxes of Zombies to Meetup attendees, so get their early as they will be first come first serve. Make sure to RSVP, or just join the CEGD Meetup Group for future events.

The next phase of the Box O Zombies line involves taking the art style and narratives in new, fresh directions. Rather than starting from scratch, we are playing off the first run in order to really expand the sense of discovery and unpredictability. We are starting this new universe with the iOS game and a new line of toys focusing on survivors. The two will interact with each other in a very cool way. The narrative of the game and the new art direction, really help us contribute to the genre with diverse characters that begin to feel a little different from the norm. As we begin to roll the world out, it will open up to more possibilities and unexpected turns. Hopefully, the plan will be executed in a manner that people can appreciate.

The Road to C2E2

The path has been set since late October. C2E2 is down long stretch of road. A production plan has been roughly blocked out. New toys and a game must be ready for the masses roaming the maze of pop culture t-shirts, comics, action figures and if we are as lucky as last year, Bubble Man! (or was that wizard world in which he graced us with a booth?). It is at C2E2 where the Box O Zombies game, and how it works with the new toys, will be demonstrated. The new line will not only be cool little sculpts, they will be game pieces. So scanning a figure into the game using NFC data, will unlock a character and some special abilities.

Now with that made clear, new challenges are presented for art direction. On top of an overall update and improvement on the art style based on what we have learned, the art direction has to walk a fine line, pleasing two mediums. It has to create a feel and temperature for the universe while working for a pixel art game. On top of that it has to make sense for a 3″ printed figure. This has been a challenge but incredibly fun. The concepts have to be consistent, meaning that they characters can’t feel dramatically different as pixel art, concept art or a sculpture. Otherwise the sense of connection to the characters across the mediums will be lost. So there is a fine balance of creating interesting detail that builds a character history and design, while still being able to translate key details with simple pixels and more complex sculptures. Where as too fine of detail, will lead to quite a bit being lost in the two different conversions.(Early concepts of some survivors along side early pixel conversions. Both have since been updated to find the a better balance. This includes updating the pixels to match details, replacing Able’s rifle with a flashlight and giving Nathanial a cast. It also includes bouncing back to the concepts and injecting a bolder color design. Illustrator Vicky Kao has done a great job bringing character’s to life through pixel art and animation.)

This time around the characters are pushed towards a more stylized, painterly feel. This was a case where it served an artistic and practical purpose. Now characters can be given more energy and interest with harder edges, simple strokes and pushed proportions. So if we encounter a character who may seem pretty plain in description (Nathaniel for example), we can ramp up his appeal with the art style. It also is easier to convert to pixel form, due to some key components are already exaggerated. A good example of this is Abe’s lanky figure, round buckle and over-sized hat (get it, it’s an over-sized hat). The simplicity also lends itself to manufacturing, if characters can be strongly and uniquely defined with a less detail, it makes them cheaper to produce. It took awhile to fully develop the new art direction, but eventually we found a nice harmony amongst the many variables of the project.

Production is at full steam, but it is still a bit too early to reveal game details. The next entry will begin to pull the curtain back ever so slightly, so if you close one eye and look through the slightest of cracks; you will sneak a peek at what will be shown at C2E2. This includes more concepts, pixel art and introductions to new team members.Over the coming entries the blog will flesh out the overall art direction of the game. Don’t stop looking at words yet! More words below!

Featured Artist: Vicky Kao

(Pixel Art done by Vicky Kao)

The developer Diary will introduce a member of the art team with each entry. It is a small group of young artists, some still students. However, it is an incredibly talented team worth highlighting. They all have great abilities and provide lessons to any artist through their work.

This week we have Vicky Kao, an illustrator on her way to graduating from Columbia College’s Art and Design Department. She has a great range of anime style illustrations that bleeds into more surreal imagery. She modestly is hesitant with animation, but has a great sense of movement and the ability to capture a character’s energy. She is definitely an artist to follow and you can do so by clicking letters, that reference some code that makes your computer show you lot’s of cool things. Click the letters below.

My name is Amanda, I’m new here on the Box-O-Zombies team and you will be seeing some posts from me on site from time to time under the name amandaveronica.

I wanted to introduce some of the team to you so that you can get a feel for the real people who are working very hard and passionately on the Box-O-Zombies game. You may find we have a lot in common, and we’d really like you to know that we’re not just working on this as a job, it’s a creative collaboration made from like minds.

First here’s a video from our last meeting. Some of us spend more time thinking about zombies than others (one can only take so much zombie at any given time before going nuts) but we all spend most of our time thinking about how to make this experience the best possible one for gamers.

About: I was born in Chicago in 197… too far back? Ok, I’m a Technology Consultant and Entrepreneur who loves video games and martial arts. I started Immersive Realms back in 2004 and was inspired by my kids to make Box O Zombies back in 2010

Favorite Scary Movie: I have two: The Changeling and Poltergeist (I wet my pants just thinking about that bathtub scene and the wheelchair at the top of the stairs in The Changeling)

Favorite Video Game: The Quest For Glory Series

Weapon of Choice in a Zombie Outbreak: A Katana because lopping off undead heads looks like its fun

Who’s on my zombie apocalypse team: A Red shirt from the original Star Trek series so I can throw them at the zombie horde to slow them down as I make my getaway

TIM LYONS – Lead Designer

About: Tim is a video editor and motion graphics artist. He does improv all around the city of Chicago and is very much interested in the softer side of zombies, by which we mean where the best place to slice them open may be. He also enjoys sitting in dark theaters, going down hill, and peanut butter.

Favorite Scary Movie: Carnival of Souls (Classic), Insidious (Modern)

Favorite Video Game: Half-Life 2

Weapon of Choice in a Zombie Outbreak: Glamdring, Sword of Gandalf the Grey

Who’s on my zombie apocalypse team: Stone Cold Steve Austin

KENT MAGES – Lead Designer

About: I had dreams of building a game while in the Game Design program at Columbia College, and I’m finally getting that chance. I’ve worked in the tech space for the past 8 years, but my love of tech and geek goes back to my childhood. I’ve worked in online payments, mobile application development and I’m an avid gamer and movie fanatic.

Favorite Scary Movie: Event Horizon

Favorite Video Game: Halo

Weapon of Choice in a Zombie Outbreak: Aluminum baseball bat, just swing for the fences.

About: Another Columbia College graduate, when I’m not working, playing video games, or creating digital art I can be found watching cartoons, dancing at a local metal concert, or walking my mini dachshund. I live my life by rule 32 of Zombieland: Enjoy the little things/don’t sweat the small stuff.

About: I graduated from Columbia College here in Chicago with a degree in Game Design with a Sound Concentration, and have been freelance composing and sound designer-ing ever since. When I’m not working on music for games, odds are I’m listening to music from games(a.k.a playing games all day), reading Sci-fi books, or daydreaming about being a cowboy…or maybe a guy that lives in space…or a space cowboy.

Favorite Scary Movie: Event Horizon

Favorite Video Game: The Mass Effect series

Weapon of Choice in a Zombie Outbreak: With a body like this who needs weapons? But seriously, probably A LOT of guns.

Who’s on my zombie apocalypse team: An army of well trained bears.

ANGIE GOELLER – Marketing Intern

About: I have a Psychology degree from University of Toledo and currently getting
another at (you guessed it) Columbia College in Advertising Art Direction.
When I’m not at school or working, I’m either playing video games,
cooking/baking, or watching the moving pictures.

About: Hihi, I’m a 2008 graduate of Carthage College in Graphic Design with special interest in Web Development. I view myself as a casual gamer, but I have played Counter-strike competitively in LAN teams for several years. If I’m not being a workaholic, I am photographing inanimate objects, being crafty, and enjoy eating anything in sight.

Favorite Scary Movie: A Tale of Two Sisters

Favorite Video Game: currently it’s “Killing Floor”

Weapon of Choice in a Zombie Outbreak: Haruko’s bass guitar from “FLCL”

About: I’m attending my last year in Columbia College and working on some projects
(like Box O Zombies!). I like to draw. I’m Lithuanian. I’ve legally raced
my car last summer (timed, not wheel to wheel).

About: I gradated from Robert Morris College in 2006 with a concentration in Graphic Design where I also played ice hockey. I love to play video games and go see the latest flick at the theater which works out great since I review a movie and video game on a podcast every week with my boyfriend Kent.

Favorite Scary Movie: Silence of the Lambs

Favorite Video Game: King’s Quest VI

Weapon of Choice in a Zombie Outbreak: Modified hockey stick with metal blade

About: I have been a Technologist in Chicago for over 20 years, diving deeply into mobile technoligies, specifically iOS 4 years ago. I’ve been working in Objective-C, that’s what the kids are calling it these days ‘cause that’s what the geezers called it in the late 80s, since 1992. I live tech, am an avid reader and a bit of a film buff. In addition to being a software engineer, I am also a linguist so I’m on fire at parties.

Favorite Scary Movie: Jaws

Favorite Video Game: I’m gonna go all modern and say Portal

Weapon of Choice in a Zombie Outbreak: Box-o-Brains

Who’s on my zombie apocalypse team: Lt. Cmdr Data from T.V.’s Star Trek, The Next Generation; The Terminator; and Jaws.

ANTHONY SIXTO – Art Director / Concept Artist

About: I graduated from Columbia College in Spring of 2011 with a degree in Game Art. I’m currently a contract artist working on various projects ranging from small animated shorts to triple A titles. I work as a illustrator, concept artist, 3D artists and occasionally an animator. I enjoy studying film and philosophy.

Favorite Scary Movie: Alien

Favorite Video Game: Metroid Prime

Weapon of Choice in a Zombie Outbreak: Tank

Who’s on my zombie apocalypse team: Ben Roethlisberger

RYAN BLAKE – 3D Artist

About: I am currently a character artist at Phosphor games where i sculpt, model, texture and setup characters for video games. I spend most of my time alone in a dark room with my Wacom. You can take that however you like it.

About: I’m currently a student at DePaul University studying Game Development Programming. Gaming is my favorite past-time, but making games is my passion. Outside of game dev I spend most of my time writing music and watching crappy movies on Netflix.

Favorite Scary Movie: Cabin in the Woods

Favorite Video Game: Gitaroo-Man

Weapon of Choice in a Zombie Outbreak: The Master Sword

Who’s on my zombie apocalypse team: The Eagles from The Hobbit

Now that you’ve met us, leave some comments below and tell us about yourselves!

And if you feel like it, we’d really appreciate your help in spreading the word about our Box-O-Zombies Game and the Kickstarter!

We may be three different companies, but we all love games. We want to combine a lot of elements of games we love and the different technologies we’ve created in a way that is both fun and challenging. Our goal is to make a game that is fun first and foremost.

Building

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Can you guide civilization through its darkest hour? Build your own post apocalyptic community! Build, upgrade and plan a community of survivors in the hopes of rebuilding the world as you see fit.

Manage your time wisely while making sure to collect the resources you need.

Plan for the future, you never know when the next zombie hoard will come knocking.

Upgrade your structures, don’t lose the future because you’re stuck in the past.

Choose the right people: when resources are scarce, not everyone is worth saving.

Exploration

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Venture into the dangerous unknown to uncover new buildings, new abilities, and answers to the mysteries surrounding “the box”.

Find new resources to help you build the town of tomorrow.

Unlock new territories to grow your community and further your quest to uncover the secrets of your past.

Combat

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Battle your way through the zombie infested wastelands in an effort to expand your control and re-establish humanity’s rightful place as masters of their domain.

Gain control of newly discovered areas by cleaning out the zombie swarms.

Defend against zombie herds moving through the desolate wasteland.

Battle rival encampments that want what isn’t theirs*.

Social Engagement and Rewards

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Just because it’s the end of the world doesn’t mean you’re alone. Share your world with your friends to compare cities and trade valuable resources and earn rewards just for playing!